Domestic appliance



April 24, 1956 F. H. MCCORMICK 2,742,708

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed July 12, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.' Francrs H. Mc Cormlck April 24, 1956 F. H. MCCORMICK DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1952 INVENTOR.

J allllt ApllllllillllItlltilli l lilllfl upInnn'lilnllllllllluliilllllvllll vi:55514111511511:in iu -inu April 24, 1956 F. H. McCORMlCK 2,742,708

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed July 12, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 447 oooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooo 226 444 oooooooooooooooooo 303 INVENTOR..

FI'ODCIS Mc Corm|ck April 24, 1956 F. H. MCCORMICK DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 12, 1952 INVENTOR. Francis H. McCormick April 24, 1 F. H. MCCORMICK DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed July 12, 1952 IA'IIIIIIII INVENTOR. Francis H. Mc Cormick United States Patent 0 DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Francis Howard McCormick, Oakwood, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 1952, Serial No. 298,566

18 Claims. (Cl. 34-76) This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application S. N. 217,618 filed March 26, 1951, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to a method of an apparatus for drying clothes.

An object of this invention is to dry clothes by applying heat to the clothes in a heating zone at a rate sufficient to evaporate moisture from the clothes and to circulate a relatively slow moisture conveying air stream through the heating zone and through a moisture condensing zone outside the heating zone to carry moisture out of the heating zone to the moisture condensing zone and at the same time circulating a cooling air stream at a relatively high rate of flow through said condensing zone in heat transfer relationship to the moisture conveying air stream without intermixture in the condensing zone thereby to condense moisture out of said drying air stream.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clothes dryer including: a cabinet having a drying air 1 inlet; a cooling air inlet, and a mixed air outlet; a heater in said cabinet; a rotatable drum in said cabinet; a removable moisture condenser in said cabinet below said drum having separate drying air and cooling air passages; a removable condensate pan below said condenser; and a fan circulating drying air and cooling air through their respective inlets separately through said condenser and out of said outlet in a mixed condition.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clothes dryer including: a cabinet; a heater and a drum in said cabinet; and a unitary bank of vertically disposed condensing tubes below said drum readily removable from the cabinet for cleaning purposes; and a condensate pan below said bank of tubes independently readily removable to empty condensate therefrom.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clothes dryer including: a cabinet having a drying'air inlet near its top; a perforated rotatable drum in the central part of said cabinet; a heater in said cabinet adjacent said drum; a cooling air inlet at a front lower side of said cabinet; a mixed air outlet at the other front lower side of said cabinet; and an air cooled moisture condenser in the lower central portion of said cabinet below said drum through which the cooling and drying airs flow unmixed in heat transfer relationship; and an air mixing chamber between said condenser and said mixed air outlet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings where in a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a clothes dryer embodying my invention showing the condenser and condensate pan partly removed;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the clothes dryer in Figure 1 showing the drying and cooling air streams by the use of arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the condenser and support and condensate pan taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of Figures 8 and 9;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the lines 4-4 of Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 6-6 of Figure 4,'- I

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along Figure 11 is an inside view of the door shown in Figure l and;

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken along the line" 12-12 of Figure 11.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2 there is shown diagrammatically a laundry dryer comprising a cabinet 20 having a drum casing 222 with an air and lint discharge collar 231. This casing 222 has a moisture conveying air inlet above the drum comprising a series of small apertures 260 in the'upper left hand corner of the casing. The cabinet 20 has acooling air inlet 28 in the form of a louvered opening 276 in the lower right hand corner of the front wall 211 of the cabinet 20. The cabinet 20 also has a mixed air outlet 30 in the form of a louvered opening 277 in the lower left hand corner of the front wall 211 of the cabinet 20. The collar 231 on opposite sides has resilient sealing edges spring pressed into sealing engagement with the beads 32 and 34 (Figure 3) provided upon the side edges of the top plate 287 of the condenser 281 which is slidably removable like a drawer as shown in Figure 1. The collar 231 also has a back abutment type seal 482 and a front abutment type seal 507 for sealing'the top plate 287 to the collar 231. The cabinet 20 is also provided with an electric heater 262 in the upper left hand corner of the cabinet 20 below the drying air inlet 260. There is also provided in the cabinet a rotatable drum 234.

within the casing 222.

The condenser 281 has a plurality of drying or moisture conveying air passages formed by the tube portions 282 of the tubular assemblies. The upper ends or" the tube portions 282 extend through apertures in the top plate 287 and are spun or folded over on the upper face. The lower ends of the tube portions 282 extend through apertures in the bottom plate 284 and are similarly spun or folded over on its lower face. assemblies which include the tube portions 282 there are provided free flowing cooling air passages which can be readily cleaned. These cooling air passages on the right or inner side are open to and receive the. air from the cooling air inlet 28 while the opposite or left side is open to the mixed air'outlet 30. The bottom plate of the condenser has rounded beads 484 and 435 at the side edges which rest and thus provide a seal just inside the beads 486 on the opposite edges of the condenser support 286. Beneath this condenser support is a removable condensate pan 303.

Behind the mixed air outlet is a fan 274 which because of the sealing of the drum casing and the drying air passages in the condenser draws in air through the drying air inlet 260 at the optimum rate for fast and thorough drying of clothes which is between 5 and 10 cubic feet Between the tubular per minute. As indicated by the arrows extending from the inlet 260 through the drum 234 and the tubular por' tions 282, this air is heated by the heater 262 and thence in the drum picks up and carries away moisture and lint in the heating zone as the moisture is evaporated from the clothes to assist in the drying of the clothes. For this reason it is called the drying air. This drying air then carries the lint and moisture through the interior of the tubular portions 282. At this point without intermixture the drying air is cooled by the cooling air which is also drawn by the fan 274 through the Condenser 281 but between and around the exterior tubular portions 282 and at a rate of at least 30 times the rate "of flow of the drying air. With all things considered, this rate is preferably about 350 cubic feet per minute. This high rate of cooling air is sufficient to condense a great amount of moisture outof. the drying air.

This moisture keeps the inner surfaces of the tubular portions 282 as well as the top plate 287 wet so that lint is collected thereon. This moisture flows downwardly through the tubes along with the drying air an'd'is conducted by the sloping top of the condenser support 286 to the centrally located apertures 498' through which the condensed moisture flows into the pan 303'. The drying air greatly stripped of its moisture flows through the holes 298 provided in the right side of the top of the condenser support 286 and thence flows to the left across the pan 303 to the row of side apertures 292 provided in the left side of the condenser support 286. In this lateral how the remaining. particles of condensed moisture drop out of the drying air into the pan 303. These apertures 292 as well as the openings of the cooling air passages on the left side of the condenser 282 are exposed to the mixing chamber 36 located beneath the horizontal wall 37 on the suction side of the fan 274 which draws and maintains a vacuum in the chamber 36. The chamber 36 is otherwise sealed so that all of the air discharged by the fan 274 must be drawn through the drying air and cooling air passages. Therelative rates of circulation of the drying air and the cooling air are governed by the restrictions in the two circuits. But particularly these relative rates are controlled by the number and size of the apertures 292 in the side of the condenser support 286. The total rate of flow however is governed by the. rate of air discharged by the' fan 274 to create a vacuum in the chamber 36.

The cabinet includes an outer stationary casing having a front sheet metal wall 211, a sheet metal rear wall 214, a sheet metal topwal-l 216 having araisedback' portion 217 and the sidewalls 218 and 219. Theseareiall mounted upon the base 212' and may be permanently attached in any suitable manner such as welding. Within this outer stationary casing the cabinet 20 also includes an inner stationary drum casing (see Figures '4 and 6) having substantially rectangular sheet metal front andback walls 223 and 221 eirtending substantially from the top 216 to the base 212. The inner or drum casing also includes a top sheet metal wall 224 (see Figure and a converging 'sheet metal wall 222 extending substantially in sealing contact with the back, from and top walls 221, 223 and 224. The bottom of the converging wall 222 is open to'form the collar 231. The space between the inner and outer casings may be filled with some suitable heating insulation such as glass or rock wool.

Ih'th'e front wall 2230f the inner or drum casing there is provided an opening substantially coaxial with the axis o'f'the'converging Walls 222. This opening is shielded by a separate square shaped member 227 having an inwardly flangedopening. This inwardly flanged opening is adapted to be closed by the door 226 which is hinged at its right hand edge as shown in Figure l to. the front Wall 21 1 of "the cabinet. The door 226 on its rear face has a 'circularfiang'ed disk 426 fastened to spacers 427 (see Figur'e 12') spot wel'ded to the square shaped front piece ofth'e door 226. The inturned flanges 428 of the disks 426 hold the hook-shaped inner rim 429 of the rubber sealing gasket 430. This rubber sealing gasket 430 has an outwardly flanged sealing portion 431 adapted to engage and make sealing contact with the square shaped member 227 to seal the inner or drum casing when the door is closed as shown in Figure 4.

Coaxially located within the converging walls 222 of the inner casing of the cabinet 20 is the drum 234 having its cylindrical wall portions formed substantially throughout with holes or perforations 236. At three points located apart the semicylindrical wall portions of the drum are formed with integral inwardly directed vanes or drag members extending in a straight line substantially from the front to the rear of the drum. These drag members tumble the clothes about within the drum to fiuft' the clothes and to provide more even drying. The front wall 237 of the drum has an outwardly flanged opening 241 which is overlapped by the inwardly flanged opening of the square shaped member 227. These two flanged openings provide access to the interior of the drum when the door 226 is opened as shown in Figure l.

The rear wall 238 of the drum 234 is substantially impervious. At its axis it is provided with a bearing pin 244. Surrounding the bearing pin 244 is a bearing sleeve 444 and the hub 445 of a V-groove pulley 251. A large thin nut 447 is threaded onto the outer end of the bearing pin 244 to clamp the bearing sleeve 444 as well as the inner race of a ball bearing 246 and the hub 445 of the V- groove pulley 251 to the drum 234. The outer race of the ball bearing 446 is fastened to the rear wall 221 of the inner or drum casing of the cabinet to provide the main support for the drum 234. Further support for the front portion of the drum is provided by two rubber tired wheels 242 rotatably mounted upon the lower cor ner portions of the square shaped member 227 on the front wall 223 of the inner casing of the cabinet. The rubber tires of these wheels 242 engage and support the outer surface of the outwardly turned flange of the opening 241 in the front wall 227 of the drum 234.

The large V-groove pulley 251 is driven by the V- belt 252 from a small V-groove pulley 253 (see Figure 5). This small V-groove pulley 253 as well as a large V-groove pulley 254 are made integral and are rotatably mounted upon a slide member 454 which is slidably mounted on the rear wall 221 of the inner casing of the cabinet 20. The large pulley 254 is driven by a V-belt 255 from a V-groove pulley 256 on the rear end of a double ended motor 253. The motor 258 is preferably of 1;. H. P. rating and has a normal running speed of 1750 R. P. M. At this speed the double reductionbelt drive rotates the drum 234 at about 50 R. P. M. The motor 258 is provided with a resilient cradle mounting 458. The slide member 454 is slidably mounted at an angle which substantially bisects the angle between the centers of the pulleys. To apply tension to both V- belts 252 and 255 there is connected to the slide member 454 a tension coil spring 455 which is anchored to the rear corner portion of the cabinet 20.

The electric heater 262 is formed of two sheathed hairpin loop portions mounted in a cantilever arrangement upon a triangular plate 463 fastened upon the rear inner wall 221 of the drum casing. These heaters pro ject toward the front of the cabinet from the plate 463 and each is provided with a separate semicylindrical portion of a reflector 263 also mounted in cantilever fashion onthe triangular plate-463. These heaters and the reflect'ors reflect the heat through the perforations in the drum 234 onto the clothes which tumble within the drum 234. Preferably these heaters have a total rated capacity of approximately 4400 watts. They are com trolled by a thermostatic switch adjusted by the adjusting knob 561 located on the back panel 217 and controlled by the thermostatic bulb 461 located intheupper right hand corner of the inner 'casing' about 1 /2 inches from the top wall and extending-parallel to the axis of the drum for a distance-of about 10 inches. The thermostatic switch mechanism'may be of any suitable type with a differential of about 6 to 80 F. In the most common settingof the knob 561 it will open at temperatures of 220-225 F. In addition to this the heaters 262 are further protected by a temperature safety switch 462 mounted upon the inside surface of the rear wall 221 of the inner casing of the cabinet. This switch 462 is set to open at about 250 P. so as to prevent damage to the clothes in the event that the normal thermostatic switch conrolled' by the bulb 461 should fail to open.

Mounted upon a triangular plate in the upper right hand corner of the rear wall 221 near the bulb 461 is an illuminating light 246 which may be controlled by a manually operable switch 546 on the back panel 217 or by a suitable switch closed by the opening of the door 226. Adjacent the illuminating light 246 upon the same triangular support is an ultraviolet ray producing lamp 247 which sends ultraviolet rays into the drum 234 to sterilize the clothes therein. This ultraviolet lamp 247 is preferably controlled by the timer 547 located upon the back panel 217. In this arrangement the timer causes the ultraviolet lamp 247 to be energized whenever the dryer is in operation.

To provide the circulation necessary for the moisture conveying or drying air stream, the back wall 221 isprovided with the drying air inlet in the form of a series of small inlet apertures 260 which are located immediately above the rear end of the heaters 262. The air from the room gains access to the inlet apertures or holes 260 primarily through a louvered opening 278 in the lower right corner of the outer rear wall 214. By this arrangement the heaters 262 and their reflectors 263 heat the drying air before the drying air enters the drum 234 through the many perforations 236 provided in the cylindrical wall portion. All of the perforations 236 in the drum are not shown but only a few are shown which are representative of the innumerable perforations provided throughout the cylindrical portion. The heated air flows through the drum 234 at a rate of between and 10- cubic feet per minute to carry the moisture away to achieve fast and even drying. The heaters 262 drive the moisture out of the clothes in the drum 234. The drum 234 by the double reduction V-belt drive is rotated at about 50 R. P. M. and the vanes 239 tumble the clothesin the drum so that different portions of the load are continually being presented to the heaters and to the circulating air.

As the heaters 262 drive the moisture out of the clothes the heated drying air continually carries away the moisture as well as lint which is dislodged from the clothes. This air flow speeds and makes the drying more uniform. The converging wall 222 extends in close relationship to the lower half of the drum 234 and conducts the drying air to the collar 231. This collar 231 on its side edges is provided with downwardly bent spring extensions which make sealing engagement with the beads 32 and 34 provided upon the side edges of the top plate 287 of the condenser 281 as described in connection with Figure 3. The rear edge of the collar 231 is formed by the adjacent portion of the back wall 221. Fastened to this back wall 221 is a horizontal sealing strip 482 of a rubber-like material laterally located at such an elevation that it is engaged by the rear edge of'the top plate 287 to seal the rear edge of the collar 231 to the top plate 287.

The front edge of the collar 231 is formed by the top of the outwardly turned flange 306 in the central lower portion of the front wall 223 beneath the square member 227. This front edge of the collar 231 is sealed by a sealing strip 507 of rubber-like material fastened to the top and sides of the rear face of a vertical front plate 307 which is mounted upon the front end of the condenser 281 and sealed to both the top plate 287 and the bottom plate 284. In this way all four edges of the: top plate 287 of the condenser 281 are sealed to all four edges of the collar 231. A sliding type of seal is provided between the spring mounted side edges of the collar 231 and the beads 32 and 34 upon the side edges of the top plate 287. The sealing strips 482 and 507 of a soft rubber-like material form abutment like seals which become sealed when the condenser 282 is pushed in like a drawer into contact with the seals.

The condenser 281 is supported by an inverted channel shaped condenser support 286. The side edges of this condenser support 286 are provided with beads 486 which make sealing engagement with the downwardly extended beads 484 and 485 provided upon the side edges of the bottom plate 284 of the condenser 281. The rear wall 221 on its inner face is provided with an abutment type seal 487 of a rubber-like material in alignment with and at the height of the bottom plate 284 and engaged by the rear upper portion of the condenser support 286 as illustrated in Figure 9. This insures the sealing of the rear edge of the bottom plate 284. The front edge of the condenser support 286 and the lower edge of the vertical front plate 307 are sealed by an abutment type seal 587 of a rubber-like material fastened to the rear face of the tray front 314 of the removable condensate pan 303. The abutment seal 587 together with the abutment seal 537 on the inner face of the top and sides of the rectangular vertical front plate 307 at the front of the condenser 281 seals to the wall 223 the front edge of the top plate 287 and the front edge of the bottom plate 284 and the top of the condenser support 286. Fastened to the rectangular plate 387 of the condenser 281 is an ornamental front 581. This front 581 together with the front 314 of the pan 383 closes the flanged opening 306 in the front wall 223 of the inner casing as shown in Figure 6. This complete sealing system insures the sealing of the drum casing and the condenser 281 and the entire drying air circuit.

Between the top plate 287 and the bottom plate 284 of the condenser 281 there are provided a plurality of staggered connected tubular members 282 which open into the apertures in the top plate 237 and the bottom plate 284. These tubular members are each formed of two sheets of metal. In each sheet there are provided six semicylindrical portions connected together by integral webs 283. The semicylindrical portions face each other to form six tubes in each tubular member 282. The webs as well as the ends of the two sheets of metal of each tubular member are fastened together.

The semicylindrical portions extend beyond the top plate 287 and the bottom plate 284 and are folded or spun over as illustrated in Figure 3. The webs between the tubular members serve as spacers to space the top and bottom sheets 287 and 284 while the folded over ends of the tubular portions hold the top and bottom plates in. firm contact with the webs. There are twentyseven staggered rows of these tubular members as shown in Figures 7 and 8. There are six tubular portions in each of the tubular members 282 with .an inside diameter of $4 of an inch. This provides a form of condenser or heat transfer unit in which the drying air by the aforementioned sealing arrangement is forced to flow in parallel through the tubular portions of the tubular members 282.

The drying air after passing through the tubular portions enters the space between the bottom plate 284 and the top of the condenser support 286 between the beads 484 and 485. in this space the air is forced to flow to andthrough the three rows of inch staggered holes 298 (totaling 52) along the right side of the top of the condenser support 286 as shown in Figures 3 and 10. The drying air after passing through the holes 298 flows laterally toward the left beneath the condenser support 286 above the condensate pan 303 until it reaches the holes 292 in the opposite side of the condenser support 286. These holes 292 open into the mixing chamber 36. The front of the shaft of the motor 258 is elongated and has attached thereto a fourbladed eight inch propeller type fan 274 which rotates within a sleeve 273 in the mixing chamber 36. This sleeve 273 extends through an aperture in the front wall 223 of the inner casing directly behind the louvers 277 in the outer front wall 211. The sleeve 273 is supported by the bracket 272 which rests on the base 212. The mixing chamber 36 has this sleeve 273 for its sole outlet and the fan 274 continuously causes air to flow out through the sleeve 273 and the louvers 277. This creates a suction or vacuum in the mixing chamber 1 6 which exerts a suction force at the holes 292 to cause the entire circulation of the drying stream of air at the rate of to 10 cubic feet per minute as previously described.

This same suction or vacuum in the mixing chamber 36 on the left side of the condenser draws cooling air in through the rear openings 278 and 279 in the rear walls 214 and 221 as well as the openings 276 and 271 in the front walls 211 and 237 as shown in Figure 7. These openings provide entrance to the space beneath the horizontal wall 40 on the right side of the cabinet which forms a supply chamber 42 upon the right side of the condenser 281. The cooling air from this supply chamber 42 flows freely between the tubular members 282 between the top and bottom plates 287 and 284 by the suction existing on the opposite or left side of the condenser 281 in the mixing chamber 36. The suction in the mixing chamber is sufficient to cause a cooling air flow of about 350 cubic feet per minute from a chamber 42 into the mixing chamber through the condenser 281. This provides a cooling air flow between and 70 times the rate of drying air flow. This provides optimum results in fast drying with high moisture condensation in the condenser with minimum air noise. This cooling air flow for satisfactory moisture condensation should be at least about 30 times the flow of drying air through the tubular members 282 from the top plate 287 to below the bottom plate 284. This is sutiicient to insure the high condensation of moisture out or the drying air in the tubular assemblies 282 of the condenser 281.

The wet surfaces in the tubular assemblies 282 are suffieient to insure the collection of lint from the drying stream of air making conventional lint filters unnecessary. In the mixing chamber 36 the drying stream of air is directed into and mixed with the cooling air stream so that its relative humidity is greatly reduced and its temperature is lowered. The fan 2'74 completes the mixing of the cooling air with the drying air and the air is dislodged from the outlet 277 at a relatively low temperature and humidity so that condensation outside of the cabinet 20 is therebyprevented.

The drying stream of air becomes saturated with moisture from the damp clothes in the drum 234 and is cooled below its condensing temperature as it passes through the condenser 281. This condensed moisture is collected on the top of the condenser support 286 and the slope toward the center provided in the top of the support 286 conducts the condensed moisture to the holes 298 arranged along the center line as shown in Figures 3 and 10. The moisture drops through the holes 298 into the condensate pan 303. If there is no drain provided, the moisture collects in the pan 303 and is manually removed by pulling out like a drawer the pan 303 as shown in Figure 1 in which the condensate may be carried manually to a place of disposal. The grid arrangement 403 provided in the pan minimizes wave action in the pan during this operation so that the condensate is less likely to be spilled. However, if a drain is available, the rubber stopper 503 provided in the lower rear edge of the pan 303 is removed and the condensate drains from the pan 303 downwardly into a catch basin 504 beneath provided with a drain tube 505 which may be connected by a hose to the drain so that the condensate may be removed in this manner. As shown in Figure l, the condenser 281 may likewise be removed like a drawer. 'Itmay beremoved and washed in flowing water to dispose of any lint which might collect on any parts thereof. The-wide moisture driven out of the clothes and assures fast-and.

even drying of the clothes. The circulating a'ir flows at a rate of about 350' cubic feet per minute which is sufiiciently low to keep the noise of the air stream relatively low. This flow, however, is from 35 totimes the air flow of the drying air stream to insure a high 'amout of. moisture condensation in the condenser before the com-- bined streams aredischarged into the room. In this way the amount of moisture delivered to the air in the room greatly reduced so that complaintsfrom moisture condensation on windows and other cold surfaces are minimized.

While the form of'embodiment'of the invention ashore" in disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is-to beunderstood that other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of thecl'aims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

i. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet including a drum casing having a drying air inlet; a cooling air inlet,

and a mixed airoutlet; a heater for said drum casing;.arotatable-drum in said casing; a removable moisture -condenser in said cabinet below said drum casing having separate drying. air and cooling air passages; a separately removable condensate pan below said condenser; and a fan circulating dryingair and cooling air through their respective inlets separately through said condenser and out of said outletin amixed condition.

2. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet including a drum casing having a drying air inlet; a cooling air inlet, and a mixed air outlet; a-heater for said drum casing; arotatable drum in said casing; a removable moisturecondenser in said cabinet below said drum casing having separate drying air and cooling air passages; a removable condensate pan below said condenser; a fan circulating drying air and cooling air through their respective inlets separately through said condenser and out of said outlet in a mixed condition; said cabinethaving a 'removalopening through which said condenser is inserted and removed; said condenser having a cover for closing said opening; said pan also being insertable and removable throughsaid removal opening and having a cover cooperating with. the condenser cover for completely closing said opening.

3. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet having a. drum casing with a bottom air and lint discharge collar; said casing having a drying air inlet above said'c'ollar; said cabinet having a cooling air inlet and a. mixed air outlet below said collar; aheater in said casing above said collar; a rotatable drum in said casing above said collar; a removable moisture condenser below and sealed to said collar and having drying air passages open to said collar and cooling air passages open to said cooling. air inlet and all of said passages being open to said mixed air outlet; a removable condensate pan below said condenser; and a fan circulating. drying air and cooling air through their respective inlets, through said condenser and out said outlet in a mixed condition.

4. A laundry dryer comprising: a. cabinet having a drum easing with a bottom air and. lint discharge collar; said casing having a drying air inlet above said collar, a. cooling air inlet below said collar, and a mixed air outlet below said collar; a heater in said casingabove said collar; a rotatable drum in said casing above said collar; a removable moisture condenser below and sealed to said collar and having atop plate connected to vertical downwardly directed drying air passages open to said collar, and having horizontal cooling air passages open to said cooling air inlet and said mixed lair outlet; and fan means for discharging air through said mixed air outlet.

5. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet having a drum casing with an air and lint discharge collar; said cabinet having a drying air inlet in said casing above said collar, a cooling air inlet belt W said casing and a mixed air outlet below said casing; a heater for said casing; a rotatable drum in said casing; a removable moisture condenser sealed to said collar and having a top plate connected to vertical downwardly directed drying air passages open to said collar, said condenser having a lower plate connected to said drying air passages and having horizontal cooling air passages between said plates open to said cooling air inlet and all of said passages being open to said mixed air outlet; a removable condensate pan below said condenser; a wall sealing said drying air passagesand said pan from said cooling air inlet; and a fan circulating drying air and cooling air through their respective inlets, through said condenser and out said outlet in a mixed condition.

6. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet having a drum casing with an air and lint discharge collar; said cabinet having a drying air inlet in said casing above said collar, a cooling air inlet below said casing, and a mixed air outlet below said casing; said collar having side sealing slides and front and back abutment type seals; a heater for said casing, a rotatable drum in said casing; a removable moisture condenser sealed to said collar by seals engaging said sealing slides and abutment type seals on said collar, said condenser having drying air passages open to said collar and cooling air passages open to said cooling air inlet and all of said passages bein gopen to said mixed air outlet; a removable condensate pan below said condenser; and a fan circulating drying air and cooling air through their respective inlets, through said condenser and out said outlet in a mixed condition.

7. A clothes dryer comprising: a cabinet having a drying air inlet near its top; a perforated rotatable drum in the central part of said cabinet; a heater in said cabinet adjacent said drum; a cooling air inlet at a front lower side of said cabinet; a mixed air outlet at the other front lower side of said cabinet; and an air cooled moisture condenser in the lower central portion of said cabinet below said drum through which the cooling and drying airs flow unmixed in heat transfer relationship; and an air mixing chamber between said condenser and said mixed air outlet; said condenser being unitarily removable for cleaning; and a condensate pan below said condenser independently readily removable.

8. A laundrydryer comprising: a cabinet having a drum casing with an air and lint discharge collar; a rotatable drum within said casing; a condenser having a set of moisture condensing air passages having their inlets connected to said collar and having a set of cooling air passages separated from said condensing air passages; said cabinet having an enclosure connected to the outlets of both sets of air passages of said condenser, means for drawing avacuum in said enclosure to draw air from both sets of air passages; said drum casing having an air inlet of restricted size for admitting air for flow through the drum to the condensing passages; means for restricting the flow of air from said condensing air passages to said enclosure; and means for collecting condensed moisture from said condenser.

9. An apparatus for drying damp fabrics or the like comprising in combination, a cabinet, a perforated container rotatably mounted within said cabinet for receiving the fabrics to be dried, means for rotating said container to agitate the fabrics, means for supplying heat to the damp fabrics, said cabinet having an inlet opening for the circulation of a stream of air into the cabinet and over the damp fabrics whereby the air stream absorbs moisture released from the heated fabrics, said cabinet also having another inlet opening spaced from said first named opening for the circulation of a second stream of air into the cabinet, means for inducing said air streams, a heat exchanger through which the heated moist air stream passes after its flow over the fabrics, means for directing said second stream of air entering the cabinet over said heat exchanger to cool and condense moisture out of the heated air passing therethrough, means for collecting condensate water in said cabinet, means for causing the air stream egressing from said heat exchanger to flow over and contact the condensate water, and means for mixing said second air stream with the air stream flowing over the condensate water prior to discharging the air from said apparatus.

10. An apparatus for drying damp fabrics or the like comprising in combination, a stationary outer casing, an inner stationary casing spaced from said outer casing, a perforate container rotatably mounted within said inner casing for receiving the fabrics to be dried, means for ro-' tating said container to agitate the fabrics, said inner casing being provided with an inlet opening for admitting air thereto from exteriorly of said apparatus and an outlet opening for the discharge of air into the space between said casings, said apparatus having an inlet opening for admitting air from exteriorly thereof to the space between said casings, said outer casing being provided with an out-' let opening for the discharge of air from the space between said casings to the exterior of said apparatus, means for simultaneously drawing air into said casings through said inlet openings and for discharging air therefrom through said outlet openings, means for supplying heat to the damp fabrics whereby the air flowing through said inner casing absorbs moisture released from the heated fabrics, a heat exchanger cooperating with the outlet opening in said inner casing through which the heated moist air egressing therefrom flows, the air entering the space between said casings being directed over and in contact with said heat exchanger for cooling and condensing moisture from the heated moist air flowing therethrough, a tray beneath said heat exchanger for collecting condensate water dripping therefrom in the path of air egressing from said heat exchanger, and means for causing the heated air after its passage through said heat exchanger to flow into contact with the water in said tray and to mix with the cooling air directed over the heat exchanger prior to its discharge from said apparatus.

11. A clothes dryer comprising: a cabinet; a rotatable drum in said cabinet; a heater in said cabinet; a removable unitary bank of vertically disposed condensing tubes below said drum communicating at their upper ends with said drum; said tubes being readily removable from said cabinet for cleaning purposes; means for horizontally circulating cooling air around said tubes; and a condensate collecting means immediately below the bottom of the tubes.

12. A clothes dryer comprising: a cabinet having a drying air inlet near its top; a perforated rotatable drum in the central part of said cabinet; a heater in said cabinet adjacent said drum; a cooling air inlet at a front lower side of said cabinet; a mixed air outlet at the other front lower side of said cabinet; and a removable air cooled moisture condenser in the lower central portion of said cabinet below said drum through which the cooling and drying airs flow unmixed in heat transfer relationship; the front wall of said cabinet being provided with an opening and a removable closure for removing said condenser; said cabinet having an air mixing chamber between said condenser and said mixed air outlet; and fan means located in said mixing chamber for drawing and mixing said drying and cooling airs into said mixing chamber and discharging the mixed airs through said mixed air outlet.

13. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet including a drum casing containing a rotatable drum; heating means for said casing; said casing having front and rear walls and an opening in its lower portion extending substantially from its front wall to its rear wall; the front and rear walls of said casing extending beneath said opening; a condenser beneath said opening having spaced perforated plates and tubular means connecting the perforations in seidplates; the rearsof said .plates extending into substantial sealing contact with said rear walhxthe .front wall. of said casing having an openingfor removal of saidxcondenser; a substantially imperforate 'platc means; means for substantially sealingsaid imperforate plate means to said front wall to' close said opening in said front wall; means for substantially sealing two edges of said ;perforated ,plates to two opposite edges of said opening in said casing; and suction means for drawing air through thetubular means and around the tubular means "of said condenser.

14. .A laundry dryer comprising: a box shaped cabinet providedwith adrum casing=containing a rotatable drum; heating means for said casing; said casinghaving front and rear walls and an opening in :its bottom portion between the front and :rear walls; a condenser having an onclosed set of vertical passages and asealing arrangement connecting the enclosure of said passages with the edges of saidopening, the walls'oi said cabinet forming an enclosure beneath said casing and beneath and on opposite sides of said opening; said condenser being located beneath said opening in a position dividing the enclosure beneath said casing int'o opposite sub-compartments; said condenser having horizontal passages between said enclosed vertical passages communicatingat their opposite ends with said sub-compartments; means for preventing movement of fluid around said condenser between said sub-compartments; one of said sub-compartments being provided with fluidoutlet means and beingotherwise substantially sealed from the environment; the opposite subcompartment being provided with inlet means for admitting air from the environment; and means for forcing fluid from said one sub-compartment out through said fluid outlet means.

15. A laundry dryer comprising: a box shaped cabinet provided with a drum casing containing a rotatable drum; heating means for said casing; said casing having from and rear walls and an opening in its bottom portion between the front and rear Walls; a condenser having an enclosed set of vertical passages and a sealing arrangement connecting the enclosurerof said-passages with the edges of said opening, the walls of said cabinet forming an enclosure beneath said casing and beneath and on oppositesides of said opening; said condenser being located beneath said opening in a position dividing the enclosure beneath said casing, into opposite sub-compartments; said condenser having horizontal passages between saidrenclosed vertical passages Communicating at their opposite ends with said sub-compartments; means {or preventing movement of fluid around said condenser between said sub-compartments; one of said sub-compartments being provided with fluid outlet means and being otherwise substantially sealed from the environment; the opposite sub-compartment being provided with inlet means 'for admitting air from the environment; means providingcommunication between the lower end of said vertical passages and said one sub-compartment; and means for forcing fluid from said one sub-compartment out through said fluid outlet means.

16. A laundry dryer comprising: a cabinet including a 'drum casing having a drying air inlet; a cooling air inl'et,and a mixed air outlet; a heater for said drum casing;

a rotatable drum in said casing; a removable moisture condenser in said cabinet below said drum casing between the sides of the cabinet, said condenser having separate drying air passages communicating with the in terior. of the drum casing and cooling air passages extending laterally from one side of the condenser to the other side, a separately removablecondensatepan below said condenser communicating with said drying air passages, the front of said cabinet having an air inlet located on one side of and communicating with the cooling air passages on that side of said condenser, fanmeans located upon and having its suction side communicating with the cooling air passages on the opposite side of said condenser, the front of said cabinet'on the same side as said fan means having an air discharge means communicating with the discharge side of said fan means.

17. In combination: acabinet; a-rotatable clothes drum in said cabinet; an electric heater adjacent said drum; a condenser having cooling air passages and cooled air passages; a fan; and air flow connections with said fan to draw air from outside said cabinet into said cabinet past said heater and drum and through said cooled air passages and other air from outside said cabinet through said cooling air passages and to force all of said air out of said cabinet.

18. A laundry dryer comprising a cabinet having air inlet opening means and air outlet openings means, a rotatable clothes receiving drum within said cabinet, a heat transfer device having separated heat transfer passages, said cabinet having means connecting said drum and one of the separated heat transfer passages to said air inlet opening means, said cabinet having means connecting another of the separated heat transfer passages to said air inlet opening means by-passing said drum, fan means for drawing air into said inlet opening means and circulating one stream through said drum and one of said separated heat transfer passages and circulating a second stream through another of said separated heat transfer passages and discharging both streams through said'outlet opening means, electricheating means locatcd in heat transfer relationship to saiddrum and condensate collecting means located below the heat transfer deviceand connected in communication with said one heat transfer passage.

References Cited in the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,985 Sherbondy Oct. '24,. 1944 2,369,366 ONeill Feb. 13, 1945 2,540,955 Moore Feb. 6, 1951 2,550,118 Kauffman, II Apr. 24, 1951 2,619,737 Geldhof et al. Dec. 2, 1952 2,644,245 Hammell et al. July 7, I953 FGREIGN PATENTS 498,712 Great Britain Jan. 12, 1939 

